Butterflies
The section's research work is collection-related and covers the areas of taxonomy, systematics, zoogeography and phylogeny. In addition to the curator herself, scientists from all over the world use the existing collections for their own research. They either borrow material or work directly on the collection during shorter or longer research visits.
In addition to the large butterfly collection, the Lepidoptera section also curates material from the closely related order Trichoptera (caddisflies). The latter are rather small in number, but also contain valuable type material.
The Lepidoptera collection currently comprises more than 3 million specimens, making it one of the largest research collections of this insect order in Germany.
Particularly noteworthy is the large proportion of Chinese butterflies (approx. 600,000 specimens).
Projects
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The influence of mutualistic and parasitic life forms on the diversification of butterflies
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
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Molecular phylogeny, biogeography and colour pattern evolution of the subfamily Chalcosiinae
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
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Evolutionary relationships and biogeography of the enigmatic West Indian butterfly genus Calisto
Management: Dr. Rayner Nunez
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Comparative and experimental wing pattern genomics in Lepidoptera
Management: Dr. Marianne Espeland
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The Caribbean cube moth
Management: Dr. Rayner Nunez
Publications
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2026/09
Optimised light sources reduce nocturnal insect attraction at railway stations
Biological conservation, 321
2026/06
Maßnahme 61: Forschung für mehr Naturschutz. „Insektenschutz an Bahnhöfen durch insektenfreundliche Beleuchtung“ (BALIN)
2026/05
LepEU: A Consortium to Study the Population Genomics of Butterflies and Moths Across Europe
Evolutionary Applications, 5, 19
2026/04
Mixture models unveil the origin of the enigmatic Satyrinae butterfly genera Calisto and Llorenteana (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae)
Systematic Entomology, 2, 51
2026/04
Target capture efficiently resolves the long‐standing taxonomic dead end of Diachrysia moths
Systematic Entomology, 2, 51
2026/03
Genomics helps resolve allopatric COI (Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) divergences in selected alpine Lepidoptera and allows for a taxonomic revision of the Symmoca signella species-complex (Autostichidae)
Insect Systematics and Diversity, 2, 10
2026/01
Optimised light sources reduce nocturnal insect attraction at railway stations
2025/12
Project Psyche: reference genomes for all Lepidoptera in Europe
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 12, 40
2025/10
A New Species of Tiger Moth of the Genus Syntomeida Harris, 1839 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) From Northeastern Cuba
Caribbean Journal of Science, 2, 55
2025/09
A review of the genus Docleomorpha Hering (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae) with descriptions of four new species
Zootaxa, 1, 5689
2025/08
Phenotypes, natural history and barcodes unveil cryptic species within the Caribbean Metalmark Dianesia carteri (Holland) (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae)
Zootaxa, 1, 5686
2025/08
New species of Pronophila and Lasiophila (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) butterflies from the Huancabamba Deflection endemism zone from a phylogenetical perspective based on target enrichment data
Insect Systematics & Evolution
2025/07
The genome sequence of the Crepuscular Burnet, Zygaena carniolica (Scopoli, 1763) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae)
Wellcome Open Research, 10
2025/07
Global climate cooling spurred skipper butterfly diversification
Systematic Biology
2025/07
Phylogeny and reclassification of Limacodidae worldwide, with emphasis on the ontogeny of larval defenses (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea)
Insect Systematics and Diversity, 4, 9
2025/05
Around the World in 26 Million Years: Diversification and Biogeography of Pantropical Grass‐Yellow Eurema Butterflies (Pieridae: Coliadinae)
Journal of Biogeography, 5, 52
2025/05
Type genomics: a framework for integrating genomic data into biodiversity and taxonomic research
Systematic Biology, 6, 74
2025/03
Evolutionary history of Neotropical butterflies of the infratribe Neosatyriti based on target enrichment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Satyrinae, Satyrini, Pronophilina)
Invertebrate Systematics, 4, 39
2025/03
Taxonomic notes on the genus Himantopterus Wesmael (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Himantopteridae) with descriptions of three new taxa
Zootaxa, 2, 5601
2024/10
A snow-dwelling tropical butterfly? An unprecedented discovery of a new genus of the Pedaliodes clade in an extreme, high-altitude Andean environment (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae)
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 2, 202
2024/10
Species delimitation under allopatry: genomic insights within and across continents in Lepidoptera
Insect systematics and diversity, 5, 8
2024/10
A new species of Choranthus Scudder (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Heperiinae) from northeastern Cuba
Tropical lepidoptera research, 2, 34
2024/10
Resurrection of the genus Eremothyris Walsingham (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Lacturidae)
Zootaxa, 3, 5519
2024/09
Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)
Zootaxa, 2, 5512
2024/09
Two new genus-group replacement names of Riodinidae from Asia (Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Riodinidae)
Zootaxa, 2, 5512
2026
2025
2024
Employees
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MSc Svenja Ahlborn
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: s.ahlborn@leibniz-lib.deDr. Marianne Espeland
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera ScientistPhone: +49 228 9122 220
E-mail: m.espeland@leibniz-lib.deMSc Siyao Huang
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: s.huang@leibniz-lib.deUlrike Kleikamp
ztm Lepidoptera & TrichopteraPhone: +49 228 9122 223
E-mail: u.kleikamp@leibniz-lib.de/leibniz-lib.de/fileadmin/user_upload/home/Bilder/LIB/Ueber_das_LIB/Mitarbeitende/Bonn/01_20241125_MKB_Portraits_LowRes_LudreschlCarmen_MGeiger_IMG_5326.jpg%3F1739271138)
MSc Carmen Ludreschl
zbm ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Applied & Experimental Ecology Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 351
E-mail: c.ludreschl@leibniz-lib.deDr. Rayner Nunez
ztm Lepidoptera & Trichoptera Postdoctoral researcherPhone: +49 228 9122 220
E-mail: r.nunez@leibniz-lib.de
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